Manchester United secured another precious three points on Saturday but were “lucky” not to give away a penalty away in a narrow 1-0 win over Southampton.
That was the view of club legends Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand who felt referee Andy Madley should have awarded a spot kick after the ball struck midfielder Scott McTominay’s arm at least twice in the box.
“I thought they [United] got fortunate,” Ferdinand said on BT Sport. “The decision went for Manchester United. I don’t think they would have felt too aggrieved if it was given. I don’t think there would have been too many complaints.
“He’s not only handled it once, it’s probably two or three times he’s actually handballed the ball.”
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Adams had the best view in the house, with the ball striking McTominay’s left arm and then his right one after the Saints forward had chested down a long ball.
Scholes added: “I think they [United] are lucky to get away with it. It looks like an unnatural position. When your hand’s up at shoulder height you do know what you’re doing.”
While the former players felt Southampton were lucky, ex-Premier League referee Peter Walton believed the team of officials arrived at the correct decision.
“You can’t hide behind the fact the ball did strike the hand on probably more than one occasion but the defence in law is the close proximity of McTominay to the actual ball itself,” Walton explained.
“He had no chance to avoid that contact. It wasn’t deliberate because the ball goes towards the arm, the arm doesn’t go towards the ball.
“And then when we talk about the natural position of his hand, well maybe that’s the natural position of a player who was setting himself. So I can understand why [the VAR] didn’t ask Andy Madley to have a look. The close proximity is the important thing there of why that wasn’t given.
“If you think of a pinball machine, that’s exactly what was happening there. McTominay knew nothing about the ball striking his hand or his arm. He clearly didn’t have that deliberate nature to do that [given] the proximity of him and the way the ball was bouncing around.
“Yes, Southampton can feel hard done by but I understand within law why that wasn’t given.”
United won the match and moved back into the top half of the Premier League table thanks to captain Bruno Fernandes’ second-half strike.
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